2017/07/31

As I already announced on my Twitter, I had done a little bit of shopping over these last couple of weeks. While doing so, I found out 2 things about my current shopping behaviour :

From all the shops I went into, I felt most attracted to Zara's collection.

I have a slight faible for 2 main trends ( that I used as guide line to divide my acquisitions into 2 seperate posts aswell ).

Here we go with the first part of the haul dedicated to the colours white and blue!

ZARA - Romper - 49,95€

This long, wide-legged, striped romper caught my eye instantly. I love the little ruffle details around the chest area, the large straps and the golden button detail in the front. Even though I have to get the straps taken in a little, I find it to fit beautifully in the chest, waist and butt-area, so I can't complain.

ZARA - Off-the-shoulder Top - 39,95€

May I present : my first off-the-shoulder top! Even though I really like this trend and always watched others looking gorgeous in it, I always went straight past the off-the-shoulder rayon, simply because I had never found a comfortable top to wear. This has changed when I saw this blue and white striped blouse at Zara the other day. I instantly had fallen for the sleeves and the fit of it so much that I even was willing to ignore the fact that it's off-the-shoulder.

ZARA - Basic 'Ecru' T-Shirt - 5,99€

ZARA - White T-Shirt - 7,99€

These 2 are self-explanatory, I guess. I needed T-Shirts, these were on Sale and looked cute. I hope for each and everyone of you that you'll still be able to find one of these because honestly, I've forgotten how life was before I got these. They go with everything in my wardrobe, are really comfortable, yet look somehow a little more special than a simple, uni-coloured T-Shirt. Big love!

ZARA - Coat - 39,99€

And yes, I got a coat in the summer. No regrets! Of course I haven't worn it out until now as it's way too hot for it, but as it was on Sale, I simply couldn't resist and I'm pretty sure that I'll get a whole lot of wear out of it as soon as the temperatures fall again. Regardless the fact that I'm addicted to coats, I was intrigued by the beautiful ruffle detail that goes all around the waist aswell as by the strange seam around the collar, the front of the coat and the arms. So here you go, I bought a coat in the summer.

Elisabetta Franchi - Body - 205€

Elisabetta Franchi - Jeans Skirt - 215€

Last but not least, I got these 2 beauties from Elisabetta Franchi. The body has quite a deep cleavage, which it balances out with long arms and quite a simple cut for the rest of the piece. The bow detail on the back of the mini-skirt perfectly matches with the body. A pair of sandals, a hat and a picnic bag, and you're good to go!

2017/07/29

I am pretty sure that everybody knows and loves the brand Urban Decay and has tried at least one of their Naked palettes that we all rave about so much. Of course, I'm no exception to the Urban Decay hype, yet I have to say that I'm more and more getting into the Urban Decay Vice 3 Eyeshadow Palette that I use on a more regular base right now.

I love the mix of mattes and shimmer-y shades. You get 20 eyeshadows with which you can create simple, decent day-time aswell as more out-there night-time looks. Even though I usually don't go crazy on my eyelids, I loved the idea of having the possibility to try out something new. And that's kind of what I did for this look. So let's break the whole look down step by step!

1 - Apply a primer all over your face to make sure that your makeup stays on all day/night long.what I used ... SMASHBOX Photo Finish Foundation Primer
2 - After letting the primer sink in for at least 10 - 15 minutes, go in with the foundation of your choice ( pssst... and don't forget to blend it in with your neck! )what I used ... MANHATTAN 3 in 1 Easy Match Makeup ( in 34 Soft Beige )
3 - Let's get into concealing all the little spots, dark circles, etc. etc. etc. Long story short : everything you don't want to be visible!what I used ... MAC Pro Longwear Concealer ( in NW25 )

4 - This step is absolutely optional but I personally went in with a slightly lighter concealer to brighten my undereye area aswell as my forehead, the bridge of my nose, the area around my mouth and the chin a little.what I used ... MAYBELLINE Fit Me Concealer ( in 10 )

6 - Set all of your makeup base with a powder. I used a translucent powder to bake my undereyes and make sure that everything's set. I also went in with a little bit of powder on my forehead and around my nose as those are the places I tend to get most oily during the day. Lastly, I set my cream contour with a powder to intensify it even more.what I used ... KAT VON D Translucent Powder / BENEFIT Hoola Bronzer

7 - As I want to look a little more taned, I lightly went in with a bronzer on all the places that the sun would naturally hit me ( forehead, nose, cheeks ).what I used ... MAYBELLINE Terra Sun ( in 01 )

8 - Put some highlighter stick on the high points of your face ( such as the cheekbones, the bridge of your nose and your upper lip ). If you want to make your highlight 'pop' even more, you can put some powder highlighter on top, as I did for this look.what I used ... SMASHBOX L.A. Lights Highlighter ( stick ) / INGLOT AMC Highlighting Powder ( in 83 )

9 - To set everything, use a fixing spray or a mist of your choice.what I used ... MAKE UP FOR EVER Mist&Fix Setting Spray

10 - Let's get into the more fun part : eyeshadows!

Set your whole lid with a light beige shade /// UNDONE

To prepare your crease for the whole look, use some light brown shade all over your crease /// DOWNFALL

Begin to go in with some bright green eyeshadow on the outter half of your eyelid /// DRAGON

Use a chocolate brown shade in the outter half of your crease to smoke the whole look out /// REIGN

And now the most important part : blend blend blend, so that you don't get any harsh lines.

For your bottom lashes, repeat the whole colour scheme from above by using your dark brown shade on the outter part, continuing with the green shadow in the center and finishing up with the bronze-y shadow from your inner corner onto the middle of the bottom lashline.

11 - To finish off the eyes, use an eyelash curler and your favorite mascara. If you want your lashes to stay nicely curled for longer, try to heat your eyelash curler with a blowdryer before using it on your lashes.what I used ... CLINIQUE High Impact Mascara ( in 01 Black )

12 - Use a clear eyebrow gel/mascara to set your eyebrows in place.what I used ... ESSENCE Lash&Brow Gel Mascara

13 - Last but not least : lips! I went for a lipstick in a chocolate brown shade right after lining my lips. To top it off, I used a creamy lipgloss in a similar shade as the lipstick.what I used ... P2 Perfect Lips Color Stop Lip Definer / MAC Matte Lipstick ( in Persistence ) / L'OREAL Cream ( in 110 I Got the Power )

2017/07/20

I think that everybody has this little rebellious episode in their life that they look back to and only think ' What on earth...? '. That little episode began for me by the time I turned 15.
Looking back at this time 5 years afterwards, I did a list some time ago of things I would've done differently or situations that have had a bigger impact on me. From there on, I put together 10 tips that I wish somebody would've given me back then.

Don't trust everybody - Not everybody is only wishing you all the best and does what is best for you. Be realistic and try to see people how they really are instead of idealizing them.

Rely on yourself - because at the end of the day, all you've got for sure, is yourself and you better get along with the person you're becoming. Listen to your gut ; honestly, it won't disappoint you.

Pay attention who you're surrounding yourself with - You don't have to have hundreds of 'friends'. It's better to have a few honest persons that you can trust and that will have your back instead of surrounding yourself with a bunch of people who don't actually appreciate you for who you really are.

Don't listen to them, you're fine just the way you are - Wear what you like, speak up and do what feels right for you. There will always be people who won't like you, but that doesn't mean that you have to listen to them and adjust your life to their opinion of you.

Spend quality time with your family and close friends - You never know what will come next ; don't make yourself regret not having said how you really feel about a person or not having spend enough time with them ( even though you would've liked to ). Life can change in a second's time, and you never know, maybe someday it will be too late to speak up or act the way you would've wanted to.

Your parents only want your best - Cliché, I know. But a good one! Trust them, they will always have your back, if you only let them.

Act like a 15-year-old - You'll have enough time to be an adult, but for now, why don't you simply act the way a 15-year-old should act?

Everything will turn out to be perfectly fine - Don't stress, it'll be okay, I promise. Somehow, everything always falls into place. So even if it now seems to be the end of the world, it'll get better some day.

You're stronger than you think - and don't let anybody tell you the contrary.

Never stop pursuing your dreams - Work for what you want. Do good things, and good things will always come back! Don't loose hope, it'll work out.

I can't say of myself that I'm a full-on adult right now. Like, I'm a 20-year-old that sometimes behaves like 10 and tries to get her life together. And you know what? That's perfectly fine. Yet, I'm pretty sure that I have learned alot about myself and my surrounding in those last few years, and that's kind of what triggered this whole post of. No further explanation, just a train of thought, a quick idea.

2017/07/10

After a long break of outfit posts, I really wanted to share with you the outfit that I wore on my graduation day.

The outfit was based around this gorgeous, white Elizabetta Franchi dress that seemed to me the perfect choice between very classical and modern. The cream, almost white color was ideal for a daytime outfit in my opinion. The cut and the length of it seemed to be mostly appropriate for such an occasion. I also was quite impressed with how comfortable I felt in it, so I'm really pleased with my choice.

To match the dress, I chose to wear my Miu Miu peeptoe high heels. And yes, I really find them incredibly beautiful, but I'll have to admit that they are the most uncomfortable shoes I own, which is a pity considering the price of them. But hey, for such an occasion I can bear a few hours of pain, I guess.

I choose a silver-beige metallic clutch by Karen Millen that perfectly matched my dress aswell as the shoes. For jewellry, I kept it quite simple with some Swarowski earrings and ring ( click here for more details ) that I'm madly in love with ever since. I also went for a more natural makeup look to match in with the whole theme of this look that was supposed to be very light, soft and flowy.

2017/07/09

As you probably have seen already on my Instagram, I recently graduated from Highschool. For that big event, I really wanted everything to be perfect, which is why I also bought a few new bits and pieces that I'd like to share with you today and that were essential for me on my prom.

Lets begin with the beauty items! First of all, I ready needed a new fixing spray and was recommended the MAKE UP FOREVER MIST&FIX SETTING SPRAY. You get 125ml for 24,95€ at Sephora, which was totally fine with me. Nevertheless, I can't really give a final opinion on the product yet, but I'll keep you updated via Instagram or Twitter. Next, I got the HOOLA ZERO TANLINES ALLOVER BODY BRONZER by BENEFIT. As my dress was very light and I didn't have the possibility to go to vacation or tan before the big night, I figured why not simply help a little out with a bronzer? Even though it cost me 33€, I really do think that it was a good 'investment'. Last but not least, I got the KAT VON D LOCK IT TRANSLUCENT POWDER to set my finished makeup. As I hadn't researched a whole lot before buying it, I first of all wanted to try it out in this miniature which costs 15,95€.

Next, I want to show you my jewellry. I got my earrings aswell as the ring from Swarowski, who has a great Sale right now ( at least in Luxembourg ).

The earrings usually are sold for 69€, but due to the Sale I got them for 41,40€. I was searching for a similar pair for quite some time. They remind me the classical pearl earrings from Dior, yet they have a little something special in the front which I personally really like. Also, you can simply exchange the pearl in the back and wear the earrings as simple studs.

As for the ring, I got it for 83,30€ instead of 119€. I have never seen a similar design in a ring and was intrigued by the way it looked on, so I really had to have it.

2017/07/05

The second series I'd like to talk to you about is Reign. The series just concluded this month, so I thought it might be a good idea to give you some input about it if you ever wondered what it is/was about.

The series

The American show is classed as a historical fiction series based around the historical figure Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots and her life in the 16th century at French Court. Everybody who's a little interesed in History knows that the French Court was widely known for its intrigues, drama and gossip, which is really what awaits Mary when she first arrives at Court where she's supposed to wed the French Dauphin ( so king-to-be, if you want to call him that way ) Francis to whom she was promised since she was a little girl. Reign depicts then Mary's whole life from her return to French Court up to her death, showing all the difficulties and dilemmas she's confronted with from a very young age on and giving the public a good insight in what it could've been like to be a queen, a wife and a woman in the 16th century.

The show, consisting of 4 seasons with each between 18 and 22 episodes à more or less 45 min., was mainly received very well by the public and even won 2 awards.

The historical figure

The main protagonist of the show is Mary Stuart who ( as I already mentioned ) was Queen of Scotland from 1542 to 1567. Due to political and religious conflicts in her nation, she grew up in France near her bridegroom-to-be and Dauphin Francis. The young queen was often described as beautiful, funny and full of 'joie de vivre', yet quite stubborn and pious, which led to a lot of uproar from the moment she returned to protestant Scotland on. Her life was mainly marked by her rivalry with her cousin, the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I of England, as they both had the claim to the English throne by birthright. The whole conflict between the two also is a main plot theme from the 3rd season of Reign on, showing the different perspectives on the historically undeniable actions. After a failed attempt on Elizabeth, Mary was imprisoned for about two decades before being executed on order of the Virgin Queen.

Personal opinion

I watched Reign for the past few month and I fell for it from the first episode on. The cast perfectly matched my expectations. I was especially intrigued by the performances of Adelaide Kane, who played Mary Stuart and Megan Follows, known as Catherine de' Medici in the show. They both played their caracters masterfully in my opinion, which made the whole series very interesting and reliable, even though the royals of the 16th century weren't quite what I would normally feel most empathy for. I really enjoyed how Reign brings vividely figures to life that one normally only knows from History class, and shows the whole train of thought behind their actions which makes them even more reliable and their actions more comprehensible.

Of course, I can't write about the series without mentioning the beautiful clothes and costumes, aswell as the breathtaking settings. I often read online that people weren't very happy about the outfits as they aren't always historically fitting. Yet the cast has pointed out several times that the storyline aswell as the whole execution weren't meant to be a one-to-one reproduction of History, but moreso that the show was only based and inspired by it, and that they took some 'creative freedom' with their outfits, which for me, was more than okay.

Conclusion

I would definitely recommend to give this one a shot, as I'm pretty sure that it's a show that appeals to a large variety of people. No matter if you're into History or into fashion or even drama, Reign covers pretty much every aspect that you could search for in a series. I also think that even though the storyline isn't one-to-one the exact story of Mary Stuart, you definitely will learn a lot about society and the royal class from the 16th century, aswell as about historical figures such as Mary or Elizabeth.